New Delhi, India, October 8, 2013: Private funding and public-private partnerships are helping India to overcome two of the largest challenges to vocational education training: inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of job offers, says a joint study by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Accenture. The study identifies five steps that businesses and government can take to better support vocational trainees and helps meet India’s goal of engaging 500 million trained youth by 2022.

Vocational education training (VET) must provide prospective employees with the skills required to support the next generation of economic growth in manufacturing, retail, construction and tourism, according to the study. Addressing the rise in the number of VET trainees who do not accept job offers or leave jobs within one month of employment is critical, the research shows.

Nilaya Varma, Managing Director, Accenture’s Health & Public Service practice in India, said, “This action plan dovetails with India’s Five Year Plan targets. By tapping younger candidates for training from rural, low-income locations, empowering them with employable skills and building their careers in important growth sectors such as manufacturing can help India meets its goals of inclusive, accelerated and sustainable growth.”